|
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries.
When the force of your heart pumping blood, or of your arteries resisting the blood flow...or both, is too great, you get high blood pressure. This is also known as hypertension.
With high blood pressure, arteries become stiff and narrow.
The heart must work too hard trying to pump blood throughout your body. This can lead to heart failure...which can lead to serious damage. The kidneys don’t get enough blood to let them filter waste efficiently. Over time, the kidneys may fail.
And, if a blood clot forms in a narrowed brain artery, or if a weakened artery bursts, it can cause a stroke.
|
